After a demonstration of new PT boats, navy brass are still unconvinced of their viability in combat, leaving Lt. "Rusty" Ryan frustrated. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, however, Ryan and his buddy Lt. Brickley are told they can finally take their squadron into battle. The PT boats quickly prove their worth, successfully shooting down Japanese planes, relaying messages between islands, and picking off a multitude of enemy ships.
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- Mister ArnJune 16, 2025“They Were Expendable” is John Ford’s sobering take on World War II, following a PT boat squadron in the early, desperate days of the war in the Philippines. John Wayne and Robert Montgomery play officers trying to prove the worth of their PT boats. The film avoids spectacle and easy victories; instead, it delivers a quiet, measured tribute to those who served and were left behind. Made with a veteran’s eye, it’s unsentimental, which only makes its emotional weight hit harder.
- James EdgarMay 24, 2025A fabulous film
